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E. CHESHIRE. SHEET SEPARATING AND MOVING DFVKIE. APPUCATIDN men SEPT.18.1913.

1,1 94,327. Patented Aug. 8, 1915.

6 $HEETS-SHEET 1.

E. CHESHIRE. SHEET SEPARAH'NG AND MOVING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 18. 1913.

l ,1 94,327. latvntvd Aug. 8, 1916.

B SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Mu W f a an MUM i E. CHESHIRE SHEET SEPARATING AND MOVING DEVICE.

APPLICATION HLED SEPT- I8, 1913.

Patentod Aug. 8, 1916.

6 SHEETSSHEET 3.

E. CHESHIRE. SHEET SEPARATING AND MOVING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-18.1913.

Patented Aug. 8, 1916.

6 SHEETSSHEET 4- E. CHESHIRE. sum SEPARATING AND MOVING nzvm. APPLICATION FILED SEPT-18,1913. 1,194,327. Patented Aug. 8, .1916.

6 SHEETS-"SHEET 5.

I M immun E CHESHIRE.

SHEET SEPARATING AND MOVING DEVICE.

APPLICAHON EILED SEPT. 18, I913.

latvntvd Aug. 8, 1916.

6 SHEETS-SPFT 6 v UNITED s'ra rns sin oFFircs.

EDWARD CHESHIRE, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, LSSIGHCB. Ti- C-"LILLEF, SAW

TRIMMER COMPANY OF MICHIGAN, OF PITTSBURGH, PENHSYLVLJ I. ACORPOR A- TION OF MICHIGAN.

SHEET SEPABTING AND MOVING TIEVICTE.

Application filed September 18, 1913.

To all TIP/LOW t may concern Be it known that I, EDWARD Crrnsnnm, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Sheet Separating and Moving Devices, of which the following isa full, clear, concise, and exact de scription, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification. 4

My inventl u; pertains to sheet separating and moving devices, and relates especially to mechanism for separating the top sheet from the remainder of a pile of sheets and lifting it into a position whence it can be readily taken away by a sheet removing device. 1 I

It is the principal object of my invention to provide a device of the above character which will be of a simple construction, the

parts of which are not liable to get out of order, and which will operate with certainty and precision.

It is another object of my invention to improve upon the existing .forms of suction foot, and to provide one which will operate V invention,

efficiently and with certainty, and which will not pick up more than one sheet at a time.

Other and further objects of my invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the appended claims. I i As an example of an embodiment of 'my a sheet separating and moving device constructed in accordance therewith is described in the folloWingspecifica-tion and shown in the accompanying drawings, as

i applied to a paper feeding and handling device, of the-kind disclosed in my co-pending application, Serial No. 790.525 filed Sep. 18,

"1913 I wish it to be understood, however,

that the device may be used in other con nections than thatin which it is described and shown, and that changes may be made 'in the. mechanism described and shown without exceeding the scope of my invenltion as defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a plan of a paper feeding and handling device of the kind disclosed in my copending application above referred to,;t0 which the sheet separating and moving device, hereinafter described and shown, is applied; Fig, 2 is a Specification of Letters Eatent.

.valve; Fig. 7 is a vertical secti'n through one of the stock guides; Fig. 8 is a horizontal section taken on the line 88 of Fig. 7, looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 9 is an enlarge front elevation of the cen- .ter suction foot FiglQ is a section on the line 10l0 of Fig. 9; i-ig. 11 is an inverted plan of the foot shown in Fig. 9; Fig. 12 is a view similar to Fig. 10, but on a larger scale, showing the operation of thesirdtlon foot on a sheet of paper; Fig. 13 is t t-rag mentary view seen from the line l i l-iygof Fig. 12, looking in the direction Ofhlillfi tll: rows; Fig. 1i is a plan of aside suctionjoot having its lower face formed simila'l'f to the foot shown in Figs. 91l;. Fig. isan inverted plan of the suction" surface-"of a foot especially adapted for use in connection with verythin paper; Fig. 16 is a. sectional." elevation of the same, the section being taken. on the'line 1.616 of Fig-l5; 17 'is/a" front elevation of a suction foot especially" adapted for use with heavy paper; Fig. 1-8 is an inverted plan of the same; Fig. 19 is a section on the line ISL-19 of Fig. 18; Fig. 20 is a view of a portion of Fig. 19, drawn to a suction foot upon a sheet of paper; and Fig. 21 is a fragmentary view seen from the line 2l21 of Fig. 20, looking in'the direction of the arrows.

Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the following. specification and the several figures of the accompanying drawings. i

As has been stated above the present eni bodiment of my invention is described ap plied to a paper feedingand handling device of the kind disclosed in my (to-pending application above referred to. Such a paper feeding and handling device includes a-feed box 30 which issecured to therear-portion larger scale, showing the operation-r-ofthe front portion of the of the frame 31 of m p'laten press, so that the feed box is in proximity to the 'rear portion of the platen 32 of the press when thelatter is in its stationary po sition out of parallelism with the form-receiving bed.. To the feed box is lungedly connected a hood 33, which may be swung upward about its hinge when desired. The hood33 carries a feed frame 34 which is adapted to be moved toward and away from the feed box- 30, over the platen 32, when table elevating mechanism of the kind which: is disclosed in my copending application,

Serial No. 790,524, filed Sept. 18, 1913. the construction of the table elevating mechanism is as follows: The stock table 36 is provided with a pillar 37 which is supported in the feed box 30 so as to be capable of a vertical sliding movement. This table, when released, is moved upward by means of a spring 38 which operates upon the table through link mechanism. A clutch,

having a roller 39, normall locks the pillar 37 so as to hold the stock ta le 36 stationary. This clutch is adapted to be released, once during every cycle of the press by a cam projection 40 which extends from the press shaft 41, and during the rotation of the shaft 41 strikes the roller-39. When the cam projection 40 strikes the roller 39 the table 36 is released. and can be moved upward by the spring 38.

The feed box 30 is provided with a transverse guide 42 upon which are slidably mounted a pair of side stock guides 43 which project upwardly through suitable slots in the stock table 36. The stock guides 43 are apertured and threaded to receive screws 44 which project rearwardly so as to be accessible at the back of the feed box. The screws 44 engage against the transverse guide 42 so as to lock the stock guides 43 in any position to which they may be adjusted on the guide 42. By loosening the screws 44, the stock guides 43 maybe shifted in one direction or the other upon the transverse guide 42 in accordance with the width of the stock on the stock table. .When thus adj ustcd, the stock guides 43 may be locked in place by tighteningihe screws 44. The stock table 36 is provided with a. longitudinally adjustable vertical rear stock guide 45. r

The hood 33 is provided at opposi ides thereof, with inwardly extendira, ..-.gs 46 aper are removed.

(Figs.,2,' 3, 4 and 5) in which are slidably I mounted pins 47 which extend upwardly from the ends of a transverse sel'mrator bar 48. The pins 47 are engaged by-the ends of a pair of lifting levers 49, which are secured to to a rock shaft 50 extending transversely across the hood 33. One of the lifting levers 49 is provided with a. cam roller 51 which is held, by a spring 52 wound upon the shaft 50, in engagement with a cam 53 keyed to the main feeder shaft 54. .As the main shaft 54 revolves the cam 53 presses the separator bar 48gdqwnwardly into engagement with the t, sheet of the pile of stock carried by the table 36, holds it for a short time in engagement with such sheet, subsequently permits it to be raised under the actionof the spring 52, and subsequently allows it to remain'stationary for a short time in its raised position. The separator bar 48 carries acenter pneumatic foot 55 and a pair of side pneumatic feet 56,which feet attach to themselves the top sheet of the pile of stockwhen the separator bar is depressed-and carry such sheet with them when the separator bar is subsequently raised again. The pneumatic-feet 55 and 56 are mounted on the separator bar so as to be adjustable" thereon for different sizes of paper and po a; sitions of the pile of stock, and will ordi- 95 narily be arranged so that the center foot' en gages the sheets from the front edge rearward, and the side feet engage the sheet from the side edges, somewh'atto the rear of the front edge, inward (Fig. 5). .3; Referring now'particularly to Figs. 2. 3 and 6, a suction controlling valve 57 is provided fo l-applying suction to the'pneumatie feet and relieving the feet from suction at the proper imes. Such controlling valve includes a casing 58 (Fig. 6) having two chambers 59 and 60 formed therein, of which the chamber 59 is connected, by a hose 61, with a suitable source of vacuum, and the chamber 60 is connected, by a hose.v 62, with the pneumatic feet. A passage 63 nbrmall connects the chambers 59 and 60. Slidably mounted in the casing 58 is a valve member 64 provided with an enlargement 65 adapted to close the passage 63 when the valve mem-' her is moved rearward. The valve member is also provided with a head 66 which normally closes the chamber 60, but opens such chamber to the atmospherewhen the valve f member 64 is moved rearward; When, there- 120 fore, the valve member 64 is in the position shown in Fig. 6, the chamber 59 in communication with the chamber 60, which is 7 closed. Suction 'is consequently communicated to the pneumatic feet. i ever, the valve member 64 is moved rearward, as indicated in Fig. 2, the chamber 59 is ca -1 olf from the chamber :60 and the chamfv 9 is opened to the atmosphere, the pneur-erv feet being thus relieved from -13.

\Vhen, how- 128 suction and put into communication with the atmosphere.

The valve member 64 is normally. held in the position shown in Fig. G'by a spring 67 which is wound about the casing 58 and engages a .cross-pln 68 at the end of the valvemeinber. Rotatably mounted on the pin'68 is a cam roller 69 which engages a cam 70 secured to the main shaft 54. WVhen the cam 70 strikes the roller 69 the valve member 64 is forced rearwardly against the action of the spring 67, whereby the pneumatic feet are released from vacuum and put into communication with the atmoshere. This occurs just after the lifted sheet ias been seized by the grippers 35, whereby the grippers are permitted to remove the sheet in the manner described in my copending application, Serial No. 790,525 above referred to. Shortly after the sheet has been removed, the cam 70 moves out of engagement with the roller 69 and permits the valve member (34 to be moved forward by the spring 67,'whereby suction is again applied to the pneumatic feet. This occurs prior to the time at which the feet have been moved into engagement with the top sheet of the pile of stock.

The operation of the mechanism so far described is as follows: When the separator.

bar first reaches its uppermost position, carrying with it a sheet of paper, the controlling valve 57.is in the condition shown in Fig. 6, the vacuum at the pneumatic feet holding the sheet in position thcreagainst. Immediately afterward. the grippers seize the sheet and the cam 70 relieves the pneui'natic feet from vacuum, the sheet being then held inits raised position by the grippers. The feed frame 34 then carries the sheet forward over the platen. After this has occurred, the separator bar remains stationary for a short time and then starts to a rend. As the separator bar begins to :nd, the controlling valve 57 is per- ..ed to return to the condition shown in Fig. (i, so that the separator bar reaches the paper with the pneumatic feet under suction.

After the separator bar hasreached its lowermost position the cam projection 40 releases the clutch and permits the stock table,

I under the action of the spring 38, to press upward movement has occurred, and before.

" rais d again.

the stock against the lower faces of the pneumatic feet, the upward movement of the stock table being substantially equal to the thickness of the sheet removed during the ]=['GV1( HS cycle of. the n'iechanism. After this the separator bar rises again, the cam pr0- jection 40' has passed away from the roller 3 whereby the stock table is locked again.

he pneumatic feet attach to themselves the top sheet of the pile of stock and carry the sheet with them when the separator bar is When a the separator b taken away by the grippers 35 in the man ner described above.

In order to aid in the separation of the top sheet from the second sheet of the pile, means are provided for blowing a current of air against the edges of the top few sheets of the pile. In the embodiment now being described this is effected by making the side stock guides 43 hollow and connecting them with a suitable source of air'under pressure. Asa convenient source of air under pressure the exhaust of a vacuum pump, the intake of which is connected with the hose 61, may be employed. As clearly shown in Figs. and 8 the stock guides 43 are .made in the form of flat tubes closed throughout their length and each having an opening 71 adjacent the top of its inner face, which opening will be in proximity with. the top few sheets of the pile of stock, when the stock is in proper position with respect to the separator bar. The two stock guides are each provided with a hose connection which carries a hose 72 connected, as has been said, with a suitable source of air under pressure. It will be seen that the air blows out of the apertures 71 against the side edges of the top few sheets of the pile of stock, slightly separating them and interposing a film of air between each sheet, whereby the separation, is materially aided.

In order that the shction at the pneumatic feet may be variedaccording to requirement,,I provide a bleeding valve 73 in the phere. By manipulating the valve 73 the degree of suction at the pneumatic feet may be altered in accordance with the nature of the paper being operated, upon. Likewise, a bleeding valve 74 is provided in the hose 72, by manipulating which the amount of air issuing from the apertures 71 may be varied as desired. In order thgtt the operation of the mechanism may be quickly stopped at will, a shut-off valve 75 is provided in the hose 61.

The pneumatic feet ordinarily employed are of the kind shown in Figs. 914. It has been found that these feet will answer perfectly for all papers within a wide range of variation as to thickness and stiffness. For paper of exceptional thinness, apneumatic foot of the type shown in Figs. 15 and '16 has been found to operate satisfactorily; and, for paper ofexceptional thickness, a pneumatic foot of the type shown .a metallic block 76 having formed therein hose (31 which valve opens to the atmosa transverse channel 77 for receiving the separator bar 48. The block 76 is provided with a rearwardly extending securing screw transversely of the block 78 which is adapted to engage m a groove formed in the rear faceof the separatorv operating the throwott' mechanism, as 'de' scribed in my co-pendingapplication; Se+.

'rial 170,790,525 above referred to.

A plate 81 is secured to the lower face of the block 76 so asto form a cover for the chamber 79. The plate 81 is curved longitudinally of the block 76 and is formed" with a plurality of transversechannels .82 which communicate with the chamber 79 by means of a ertures 83. The transverse channels 82 0 not connect with each other,- and they terminate short of the front and rear edges of the plate 81, a plurality'of sealingsurfaces 84, between the channels, andrsealing lips 85 at the front and rear of the channels, being thus provided. The sealing lips are made substantially flat, as shown, andapreferably tangential to the curve of the intermediatesurfaces'84. The plate;81 is so formed and disposed that the sealing surfaces 84 are upon the same lane as the bottom surface of the block 6. At the rear of the plate 81, the block 76 is formed with a channel86 which extends and longitudinally of the plate 81. I

Vhen the pneumatic foot 55 is in posi tion upon the top sheet of a pile of paper,-

suction being presentin the chamber 79, the

top sheet of the pile,designated 87 in Figs. 12 and 13, is sucked up against the lower surface of the foot. In .beingdrawn upward, the sheet is bent so as to seal against the curved surfaces 84. In being thus bent, its portions at the front and rear of the surfaces 84 are brought into flat engagement with the lips 8-"). The necessity of bending the paper, except at the part which engages the surfaces 84- is thus avoided, and a perfect sealing, obtained without employing a high degree of vacuum. When the top sheet 87 thus seals itself against the lips 85 and intermediate surfaces 84, the channels 8'2 become, in effect, a plu ality of suc- 6 tion chambers, into which chambers the top sheet 87 is partly sucked, as indicated in Figs. 12 and 13. The sucking of the sheet into the channels 82 thus creates a plurality of small passages as indicated at 98 in Figs. 12 and 13. The passages 98 extend from the outer edge of the paper inward, be-

lift more than oncsheet at a time. .:*'was largely due to the ,fact that vacuum ,1 'aspaces were formed, between the top and sec- 7 tween the top shcet 87 and the second sheet 88, and open, an their inner ends, .into a transverse chamber 99, which is formed between the sheets 47 and 88, by reason of the sheet 87 being sucked up into the transverse channel 86. By reason of the formation of this chamber-.99 between the top-sheet and the second sheet, into which air can flow through the passages 98, it is insured that 7 air in quantity beadmitted heltween the top sheet and the second sheet ot the pile.

Suction feet for separating paper, as

heretofore constructed, have been' subject to the disadvantage that the 'foot would often 0nd sheets, at'the parts close to the edges; of the suction opening of the foot, the formation of these spaces being due to leakage of air, through the top sheet, into the suetion opmri'ngof the foot In the case of the; foot described above, the formation of such Vacuum spaces between the top and second] sheets'is avoided, air being admitted between; the sheets, not only beneath the. suction} channels. but at all the parts surrounding them. The space 99 and the space 100 beneath the front edge of the foot, togethei form a chamber, in communication with bib: 95 atmosphere, which embraces the suction channels and surrounds the same-except for the negligibly small portions engaged by the surfaces 84; The center foot 55 e gages the paper from the front edge thereo rea rwardly; The two side feet. fiengage tile paper from the side edgesthereof, somewhat to the rear of the frontedgel Fig. 5), inwardly. One of the side feethis shownin Fig. 14'. So far as the suctiolizchamber'f79 and the lower surface of the foot are concerned. the foot 56 is similar to the foot 35. There is, however, only one hose prov-idrd, being the hose 62 which communicates wth the vacuum control valve; The chan ml which receives the separator bar 48 is. in he case of the foot 5 disposed longitudinally with respect to the suction channels 82 instead of transversely, as is the case in the foot The foot 56 operates in the same manner as does the foot 55. .7

The pneumatic foot for use with very thin paper (Figs. 15 and 16) is of the same general construction as that disclosed in Fi s. 9-11, and is provided with a plate 89 an a channel 90 corresponding to the plate 81 and the channel 86 of the foot 55. The suction channels 91, however, are in this case two hose 80 and 62',

foot shown :in Figs: and flfi is the same as that of thefoot' shown in- Figs. 9-11). ,The pneumatic foot shown in Figs. 17-21, which is intended for use with exceptionally heavy paper, differs from the pneumatic feet described above in that there is only one air chamber formed between the top sheet and the sheet'next' succeeding it. This has been found to be sufiicient where heavy paper is being used. The suction foot shown in Figs. 17-21 includes a block 93 having fforrned therein'a channel for receiving the se arator bar48, and being provided witha loc ingscrew 94 for. securing the foot to the separator bar in, any desired location. The'lowmbsrirface of the block 93 is flat except-j forjaconcave depression 95 which is formed near th front part thereof. The de pression 95 opens at the front of the foot and ls curved downward rearwardly so as to merge into the flat portion of the foot near the center of the latter; and it is also curved laterally of the foot, as clearly shown in Figs. 17,. 18 and 19. At the bottom of the depression 95 are formed a plurality of intersecting grooves or channels 96 which communicate with each other, and into which opens a port 97. Intothe port 97 open the of whi-ch'the hose 80 is connected with the diaphragm and the hose 62 connected with the vacuum control valve,

as. described in connection with the foot shown in Figs. 9-13.

- It will be seen that when vacuum is applied to the foot the grooves 96 form a plurality of small suction spaces, against which the top sheet 87 is drawn. The top sheet is thus brought into engagement with the lower face of the depression 95, thereby being buckled to the shape of this depression. This buckling of the top sheet, which is clearly illustrated in Figs. 20 and 21, causes an air chamber of considerable size to be produced between the top sheet 87 and the second sheet 88 ,'the pneumatic foot being thus prevented from raising two or more sheets at a time. i

1 Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Mechanism for separating sheets one by one from a pile of stock comprising a separator bar disposed transversely above the front portion of the pile and vertically movable with respect thereto, a suction foot adjustably carried by said separator bar and adapted to engage from the front edges of the sheets rearwardly, a pair of suction feet adjustably carried by said separator bar and adapted to engage the sheets from the. side edgethereof inwardly, and means for moving said separator bar toward the pile to pefunit said feet to receive a sheet therefrom, and subsequently moving it away frgm s aid Dile. for the purposes set forth.

by one from a pile of stock comprising a port, a'rseparator bar slidably mounted in said guides, a spring-returned lever for operating said separator bar, a cam shaft, a cam carried by said shaft for actuating said lever, a suction foot carried by said separator bar, a controlling valve for said suction foot, and a second cam carried by said shaft for actuating said controlling valve.

3. Mechanism for separating sheets one by one from a pile of stock comprising a support, vertical guides carried by said support, a. separator bar slidably mounted in said guides, a spring-returned lever for operating said separator bar, a cam shaft, a cam carried by said shaft for actuating said lever, a plurality of suction feet carried by said separator bar, a Valve for controlling all of said suction feet, and a second cam carried by said shaft for actuating said controlling valve. j i

4. A suction foot for separating the top sheet from the remainder of a pile of stock, said foot having a suction opening in the lower side thereof and having such lower side formed to prevent the creation of vacu- 2.;Mechanis1n for separating sheets one um spaces between the top and second sheets,

at the parts of such sheets embracing said suction opening. i

'5. A suction foot for separating the top sheet from the remainder oi pile of stock, the lower surface of said foot having a suction opening therein and being formed to create, between the first and second sheets, an air chamber embracing the edge of said opening and in communication with the atmosphere.

6. A suction foot for separating the top. sheet from the remainder of a pile of stock, the lower surface of said foot having a suction opening therein and being formed to create, between the first and second sheets, an air chamber embracing the edge of said opening and in communication with the atmosphere, and a second chamber beneath said opening and in communication with the atmosphere.

7. A suction f ot sheet from the said foot havin formed with a convex surface having a suction opening therein, said surface and opening being formed so as to create, between the top and second sheets of the pile, an air chamber at the rear of said surface, and a second air chamber communicating with the atmosphere and with said first-named air chamber.

8. A suction foot for separating thetop sheet from the remainder of a pile of stock, said foot having the lower part thereof formed with a convex surface having a plurality of suction openings therein, said sur- ,he' lower part thereof 61 I new face and openings being 7 formed so as to scribed iiiy name in the hf two witcreate, between the top and second sheets of nesses. I the pile, an air chamber at therear of said EDWARD CHESHIRE.

- surfac'and a plurality of air chambers? 'bdm municating with the atm phere iihd with i said first-named air chamben 4 CHARL S (i. COKE,

Inwitne'ss'whereof, I have hereunto sub N. FLANAGAN- 

